Karnataka schools reopen: Physical classes for 1-9 to begin from Jan 31

Bengaluru, Jan 29: The schools for classes 1 to 9 standard in Karnataka will reopen from Monday, the state government announced on Saturday.

The BJP government has eased the Covid-19 restrictions in the state allowing schools to function by following Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education BC Nagesh said all the schools will open from January 31. "Schools from first (Class 1) to ninth standard (Class 9) were closed due to COVID-19 third wave. From Monday, all the classes will open. Everyone has to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour as recommended by the experts," PTI quoted him as saying.

Explaining further, BC Nagesh claimed that the entire class will have to be shut if a Covid-19 case in the particular class is detected and every child will undergo test but the school will function as usual. The deputy commissioner of the district concerned will decide how long the class should remain shut, he added.

The Karnataka government on Saturday decided to lift the night curfew and start regular classes for the aforementioned Classes. It also decided to continue with the mandatory RT-PCR tests for passengers coming from Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa.

"There will be no night curfew from January 31. The night curfew curbs have been lifted," Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said after a high-level meeting with the experts and officials, which was chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

The government had imposed Covid curbs from January 4 over rising Covid-19 cases.

Since the hospitalisation and fatalities are much less than the first and second wave of COVID-19, the government decided to ease curbs, officials told PTI.

According to state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, the overall hospitalisation on Friday was 1.9 per cent. "Overall hospitalisation rate in Karnataka as of Jan 28th is 1.90%. 5,477 people of the 2.88 lakh active cases are hospitalised. Patients in Non-oxygenated beds: 1.24%, Patients in Oxygenated beds: 0.42%, Patients in ICU/Ventillators: 0.24%," Sudhakar tweeted on Saturday.

The public transport vehicles will accept passengers as per the sitting capacity, Ashoka added. The Bommai government has allowed pubs, bars, restaurants, and hotels function with 100 per cent occupancy.

However, only 50 per cent of the occupancy will be allowed in the cinema halls, multiplexes, swimming pools, gyms, sports complexes and stadia. As far as marriages are concerned, 300 people will be allowed to congregate in open spaces and 200 people in closed spaces. Similarly, offices will now have 100 per cent occupancy. The government also permitted all kinds of services at the religious places.

However, only 50 per cent of capacity at the religious places will continue, but fairs, rallies, sit-in demonstration, protests, social gatherings and religious gatherings have been prohibited. PTI